The Hunt for the Missing Spy (The Code Busters Club)

From my 8 year old: this is a great book because it is fun to read because you read a mystery while going to all the different museums.

Title: The Hunt for the Missing Spy - The Code Busters Club Case 5Author: Penny WarnerPublished: 4-1-2016Publisher: Lerner Publishing Group/Darby CreePages: 172Genre: Mystery & ThrillersSub Genre: Adventure; Mystery; Detectives; Children's FictionISBN: 13-9781512403046ASIN: B01BV2WJY0Reviewer: DelAnneReviewed For: NetGalleyRating: 4.5 Stars.I received a copy of The Hunt for the Missing Spy from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review. As I am able to read a bit about the books before I choose. I try to choose books that appeal to either myself or someone I am intending to give a copy of the book to as a gift. I have been lucky not to get many ARCs that have not met my expectations. I try to be honest in my rating and the opinions and comments expressed are my own.From The Publisher:Cody, Queen, Luke, and M.E. are the Code Busters—clever clue hunters with a passion for puzzles. They can't wait for their school trip to Washington, D.C., where they'll get to visit the International Spy Museum. But it seems as if someone is spying on them—or at least leaving coded messages that even the Code Busters can't crack. And once they arrive at the museum, they notice they're being followed by a mysterious stranger. Then a classmate goes missing. Could the unknown spy be responsible? It's up to the Code Busters to find out!My Review:I enjoyed reading and sharing this book with my great-nephew Chad. He too loves puzzles and mysteries. He helped to evaluate it as a gift for his 9 and 11 year old cousins. He especially enjoyed trying to decipher the sign language titles for each chapter. Having had a deaf friend in junior high I learned sign language very early and the kids enjoyed learning the basics. There are other clues and codes to crack through out the book. There is a key code at the back to help if a reader has trouble. A mystery with a touch of suspense and adventure added in for good measure.I found this book to be an enjoyable read and gave it a rating of 4.5 out of 5 stars.

Ms. Stadadelhofer explained to her class that “All languages are codes, including English.” Of course many students at Berkeley Cooperative Middle School already knew that. In fact, the Code Busters Club loved learning about and discovering new codes. Cody (Dakota) Jones and her friends M.E. (Maria Elena) Esperanto, Quinn Kee, and Luke LeVeau had lots of codes in their repertoire. It was going to be really cool to check out what the so-called real spies knew about them because the sixth grade class was heading to Washington, D.C. ... to none other than the International Spy Museum! Everyone was really excited, except for maybe Matt the Brat.Matthew Jeffries never had anything nice to say about anything. Complain, complain, complain! There was a new girl in the class, Mika Takeda who seemed pretty nice and in fact, her mother was going to be their chaperone on the trip. The Code Busters knew all about codes and cracking them was their specialty. They even had a clubhouse in Eucalyptus Forest and if any member forgot the secret knock ... well, they couldn’t get in. In the Code Busters clubhouse, “locks, bolts, and passwords were definitely necessary” to the secrecy of the club.The Eucalyptus Forest clubhouse even had a “secret compartment hidden under the metal floor” that contained all their “code-busting supplies.” There was something lurking in that forest and M.E. quickly signed the word “lion.” Could there be a mountain lion outside the clubhouse? If there was it was wearing “extra-large hoodies and saggy jeans!’ The Code Busters had plenty of experience cracking codes and the picture message the culprit left behind just might give them a clue as to who was spying on them.When the Code Busters finally arrived at the International Spy Museum the excitement began. They had “completed their ‘legends’ (fictional spy backgrounds), for their ‘covers’ (secret identities)” and were ready to get to work. The Code Busters were going to crack a case and beat the rest of the students. They were headed to their first waypoint, but something was seriously wrong. They soon noticed that “some strange person was spying on them,” leaving very cryptic messages behind. Worse yet, someone in the class ended up missing! Were the Code Busters savvy enough to crack not one, but two mysterious cases?The Code Busters Club is a series that will appeal to a wide variety of young readers. This is not your average, straightforward mystery series, but rather one filled with secret (and not so secret) codes that move the story line along. Any youngster can opt to pass by the codes and read the tale without them, but it’s infinitely more fun to figure them out. Each chapter heading is spelling out with visible finger spelling, a great start to the mini-mysteries within. The Code Busters, as well as the reader, have to figure out the code before moving on. In the back of the book is a Key Book & Solutions. The keys can easily be replicated for easier solving. There’s a Code Buster’s Club website for even more fun as well as suggestions for classroom teachers.CODES:Japanese Kanji NumbersGeorge Washington’s CodeAlphanumeric CodeInternational Morse CodePigpen Code (two versions)Finger SpellingSemaphore CodeLEET CodePhonetic AlphabetTHE CODED BUSTERS CLUB:#1  The Secret of the Skeleton Key #2  The Haunted Lighthouse #3  The Mystery of the Pirate’s Treasure #4  The Mummy’s Curse #5  The Hunt for the Missing Spy This book courtesy of the publisher.

What I liked: The Hunt for the Missing Spy is a terrific middle-grade mystery that most readers, and reluctant readers are sure to enjoy. The short chapters and activities make this a perfect choice for those who have trouble staying interested while the mystery and adventure will please reading enthusiasts.What I didn’t like: The only negative thing I can say is that unless you print out the key codes it would be better to read a physical copy than an ebook. Until I got out my snazzy Code Busters key cards it was frustrating to flip between my place in the book and the clues.

This is a page turner!! our 9 year old son LOVES this book and can't wait to get his hands on the other code busters club books. After putting our son to bed last night, we checked on him 90 minutes later and he was still reading!!! He said the book is so good and such a page turner that he can't put it down. This is coming from a boy who is always playing sports and has little time for sitting..even for dinner.In addition - the author, Penny, is phenomenal. Penny visited our school and spoke to our students about sign language, busting codes and life as an author. She inspired many children with her life story. We highly recommend her series.

I LOVED IT IT WAS SO GOOD I CAN't believe that this Author came to our school before I had started to readthese books